Penalties, mistakes cost Raiders in 26-13 loss

SAN DIEGO — The Raiders hung around for a while thanks to three first-half turnovers by the Chargers, but in the end couldn’t get out of its own way enough. Penalties. missed opportunities and a fumble of its own stopped Oakland in its tracks, and resulted in a 26-13 loss on Sunday afternoon.
The Raiders (4-11) were outscored 16-3 in the second half and have now lost seven of their last eight games. Philip Rivers’ four-yard touchdown pass with five minutes left in the third quarter proved to be the difference, and the 77-yard drive was aided by two penalties on cornerback Mike Jenkins.
One was for taunting, when Jenkins knocked the ball out of running back Ryan Mathews’ hands out of bounds after tackling him.
The Raiders had 12 penalties to the Chargers’ three.
The Raiders tried to get back in the game but Rod Streater dropped a deep pass at the goal-line from Matt McGloin with three minutes left in the game. The ball was underthrown but Streater seemed to make the adjustment and pull the ball in and score before being hit and losing the ball. But the officials ruled a drop and the replay officials didn’t overturn the call.
Later, on a fourth down play close to the goal-line, McGloin threw a ball up under pressure and Marcel Reece turned and ran under it but couldn’t pull the ball in.
Both starting quarterbacks, McGloin and Rivers, were inaccurate much of the day. McGloin never saw safety Eric Weddle on a second-quarter interception that led to a Mathews touchcdown run. And Rivers underthrew Vincent Brown on his interception in the first half, and missed Allen several times when the Chargers settled for field goals.
Nick Novak hit field goals from 48, 28 and 33 yards out in the second half to put the game out of reach.
The Raiders pulled even 10-10 after the Chargers committed their third turnover late in the first half.
Keenan Allen muffed a punt recovered by Shelton Johnson at the Chargers’ 16. Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 20-yard field goal in the half’s final minute.
Earlier, Chargers center Nick Hardwick snapped the ball to Rivers in the shot-gun formation, but Rivers wasn’t looking. The ball was pounced on by linebacker Miles Burris and the Raiders didn’t squander their good fortune.
Running back Darren McFadden, back after missing two weeks with an an ankle injury, converted the turnover with a 5-yard touchdown rush to give the Raiders a 7-3 lead. McFadden’s scamper was set up by a 37-yard reception by tight end Mychal Rivera.
That’s when McGloin threw the ill-advised pass that Weddle jumped and tipped to himself. The interception gave the Chargers the ball at the Raiders’ 20-yard line. Running back Ryan Mathews’ 7-yard run pushed the Chargers ahead, 10-7.
The Chargers scored first when marching 82 yards in their opening possession, which was capped by Novak’s 27-yard field goal, his first of four in the game.
Owner Mark Davis has yet to decide on coach Dennis Allen’s fate, as can be seen by his lack of action regarding the assistant coaches’ contracts.
Most of the assistants were given two-year contracts when Allen was hired in 2012. At the end of last season, general manager Reggie McKenzie recommended to Davis that the contracts of the assistants retained by the team be rolled over for another year, so that they’d continue to have two years on their deals.
Davis didn’t see that way, even though he has said McKenzie is running the football side of the business.
With coaches like defensive coordinator Jason Tarver perhaps getting antsy, Allen (who has a four-year deal) recently requested again that the staff be given a one-year extension. Davis again declined, according to league sources.
Allen is 8-23 now and could definitely use a win, as could his players, many of whom are on a one-year contract. It didn’t happen Sunday in San Diego, and 12-3 Denver is next.